Library Quiet Policy
Most kids have never heard of the stock market floor. They are usually surprised when I tell them that some of the richest men in the world have the loudest work place volume level, that there's actually a place in this world where men and women spend a ten hour day on their tip toes, waving their hand and shouting at what we at St. Peter refer to as a volume level 5. Children with loud voices are not bad kids. In fact, I hope to see many of these students try out for the play someday. They are probably destined to work in environments where that loud voice will pay off. The basketball court, for instance, maybe a train yard, the stage, or even the classroom. Children with loud voices are destined for greatness, but success always comes with self-control.
Learning to control your volume level, learning to moderate volume level to meet certain standards, is an important part of growing up. It is a life skill that is just as important as learning to tie your shoes, memorizing math facts, and being organized enough to turn in a paper on time. Even the men and women who work on the stock market floor know how to whisper in the New York City Public Library.
For our library, quiet is an absolute must. We are surrounded by five classrooms and two offices, all of which are affected if the class in the library becomes unruly. In the younger grades, with smaller class sizes and tiny voice boxes, it may not seem as important to whisper, but we still use our time with them to teach self-control so that they understand that libraries are places where you must repect other readers by using a whisper. Then, when the students are in a larger class and possess a deeper voice, they will, hopefully, have mastered the skill.